Merchandise cabinet



Jan. 22, 1929.

C. L- ANDERSON ME'RGHANDISE CABINET Filed June 22, 1925 'INVENTOR. 62m: 4. fi/me'mso/r Wfi ATATORNEY Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

teases L. ANDERSON, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

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Application filed June 22, 1925. Serial No. 38,712.

My invention relates to merchandise sales cabinets, and particularly f to cabinets provided with means for indicating the number of pieces of merchandise taken from or con- 5 tained at any time in the difierent compart ments thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the type described in which an indication of the number of pieces or packages of merchandise contained therein or removed therefrom is automatically mechanically indicated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet from which a record of the number of packages removed therefrom during a given period of time may be directly obtained without recourse to written inventory records.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the character described with merchandise recording means so arranged that the sizes of merchandise packages to be dispensed from a given compartment may be changed without efiecting the accuracy of record of the indicating means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cabinet of the character described in which the indicating mechanism is so arranged that unauthorized persons may be prevented from changing the indications thereof. 1

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a cabinet embodying my invention, a portion of the front thereof being broken away Figure 2 is an enlarged top view of a portion of the cabinet, with thetop removed.

In the handling and sale of merchandise, more or less difficulty is experienced indetermining the rate of turnover of the various articles handled. The usual methodof makmg such determinations has been by means of: a written inventory, but such method hasmvolved undue effort and inconvenience. In accordance with my invention, however, a merchandise cabinet has been produced which might well be described as self-inventorying. Briefly expressed, the cabinet ofmy invention, and as here shown, comprises vertically disposed compartments in each of which the difierent kinds of goods are placed in superposed reiation, and from which they are er ranged to be taken one at a time, preferably at the bottom. By means of an indicating mechanism automatically actuated by a member arranged to maintain contact with the uppermost package in a compartment, the number of packages removed from the compartment is directly indicated at any time to give at a glance the desired information as to the number of sales made slnce the setting of the indicator hand at zero. In this manner, a written inventory is avoided and a positive record is bad at a glance. Sincepackages, even in the case of successive receipts of the same kind of merchandise, may vary insize, means are provided for securing a true record by the use of the same dial, so that one dial may serve for a wide range of sizes of packages. Furthermore, to protect and display the goods and insure a correct record, the cabinet of my invention is preferably provided with a a glass front which covers the recording mechanism as well as themerchandise, openings only being provided at the removal 7 points at the bottoms of the compartments, the glass front preferably being arranged to be locked in position. The cabinet of my invention, it will be noted, may be used equally well for both small and comparatively large articles, the proportions only of the device being varied. p As illustrated, the device of my invention comprises a cabinet 4 in which are provided vertically disposed compartments A, B, C, D, 5

etc., arranged to respectively receive packages or pieces of merchandise A, B", G, D, etc,

in superposed relation. Since the cabinet is arranged, among other things, to indicate the number of sales of the packages, thepackages in a given compartment desirably contain the same goods, both as to quality and number, and are therefore of the same shape. The

packages are arrangedto be removed oneat a time from their respective piles, preferably at the bottom. Since the packages are of uniform thickness, the removal of a package will lower the height of the corresponding pile by the amount of such thickness, and accordingly, a member 6 is provided which is ar- 10o ranged to rest on the uppermost package and move upwardly or downwardly therewith. The various positions of the member 6, in aceord with the number of packages thereunder shaft lS and secured at one end to the is arranged to be directly and automatically indicated by means of an indicator hand 7 arranged to be variously positioned in front of appropriate symbols on a dial 8 removably attached to a plate 9 fixed in the .cabinetadjacent the top thereof.

Operative connection between the member 6 and. a corresponding hand 7 may be variously accomplished, butsince it may be desirable to use a given compartment for packages of different thickness, means are preferably provided whereby adjustment between the relative movements of the hand and member 6 maybeaccomplished to therebyallow the continued use of the same dial. As here shown, such means comprise a pulley wheel 12 anda cooperating frictionwheel 13 arranged to bear against a side of the pulley, the latter beingarrangedto move the hand 7 and the former being arranged to be rotated upon movement, of the member. 6 by means of a flexible, cord 14 wrapped therearound. andsecured at its other. end to the member 6. The hand/7, it will now be noted,is secured to the end of a shaft 16extendingthroughand bearingintheplatef) and a rear plate 17. As. here shown, the shafts 16 extendhorizontally in the direction of the depth of the cabinet and transversely and closely overlie a fixed shaft l8..horizontally disposed longitudinally of the,.,cabinet. The pulleys 12, itrwill be noted,,are revolubly mounted on the common.

shaft 18 while thewheels 13 are slidably mounted on the shafts 16 and are arranged to be setin position thereon by means of set screws .19 whereby their rotation will, be di-. reetly communicated to the hands 7.

To insure proper friotionalengagement of the discs and. their corresponding pulleys, springs 21 areprovided, such springs being ere shown. of helical form encircling the against the resistanceof thespring 21-, so.

thatthe hand may thus be readily resetto zero at the close of a days businessor at any other time.

Itwill now be noted thatthe wheel 13 is arranged tobe adjustably positioned so that. it will contact with its pulley 12 at various radial distanceson the. surface thereof. In this manner, assuming the device to have been usedfor indicating the withdrawal of packages of a given size from a, stock of 5, as

shownin compartment A, if larger packages pulleys Setting of thehand 7 in any deare to be used with a similarly marked dial as shown in compartment B, it is merely necessary to position the disc 13 inwardly of its former position to insure a proper indication disclosing the number of larger packages in the compartment at any time. In this manner, close adjustment to the size of package is thus readily accomplished. If, as indicated in compartment C, the-packages are small enough to allow an increased number to the compartment,'a dial arranged to indicate a different-total number may be used, and the dials are therefore preferably removably and exchangeably mountedon the plate 9.

A record ,of a previous reading of adial.

mechanism, the case is preferably provided,

with a front .closure27, formed either of a transparent or opaque materialas maybe de,

so or of. the original, contents of a compartment sired and arranged tobe locked in position openings 28 being provided adjacent the bots tom thereof to allow the removalon insertion of the; packages. The portion29 of the BIOS-1.

ure covering the indicating mechanism. is

preferably formed separateof the remaining portion. of the closureand is preferably transparent.

I claim:

1. In a cabinet arranged to contain superposed packages, a movable member arranged fixed on said cabinet, an. indicator hand, a.

. pulley, a flexible member operativelyconnecting said pulley and movable member, and

means including a frictionwheelengaging a side of. said pulley to cause the positloning of said, hand opposite appropriate indicia: on

said dialto disclose the number of packages removed from said cabinet.

2. In a cabinet arranged to contain a plurality of superposed packagesof likethickiess, a movable member arranged to rest on the uppermost package, a dial, an indicator .hand, means connecting sald member and handwhereby said hand will be automatically positioned opposite a symbol on said dial to disclose; the number of packages removed from said cabinet, and means arranged for the adjustment of said connectingmeans whereby true indications willbe given by said handon said dlal for packages of various thickness. 1

3. In a cabinet arranged to contain a plurality of, superposed packages of like thickness, a movable member arranged to rest on theuppermost package, a numbered dial fixed thereto, an indicator hand arranged to cooperate with said dial, a rotatable shaft carrying said dial,a friction wheel fixed on said shaft, a pulley arranged for rotation about an axis extending transversely of the axis of said Wheel and having a side thereof be disclosed. by the positioning of said hand arranged toserve as a friction disc, means rewith respect to the indieia on said dial.

siliently urging said side of said pulley In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 10 against the periphery of said wheel, and my hand atOakland, California, this 13th means operatively connecting said pulley and day of June, 1925.

said movable member whereby the number of packages removed from said cabinet may CLYDE L. ANDERSON. 

